Abstract

CARRA, Adriana et al. Severity of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis in Argentina. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2023, vol.83, n.1, pp.59-64. ISSN 0025-7680.

Introduction: There is limited local information on the risk of severe COVID-19 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are receiving disease-modifying treatments (DMT). The aim of the study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 disease (severity and lethality) in MS patients receiving DMT. Methods: The study was performed on a prospective cohort with EM. We included 111 patients with MS and a confirmed di agnosis of COVID-19 treated with DMT and followed up until the resolution of COVID-19. Results: A total of six patients (5.4%; 95% CI: 2-11.4%) developed severe COVID-19 defined as requiring hospitalization in intensive care unit or death and three died (crude case fatality rate of 2.7%; 95% CI: 1.1-4.3%). The age-adjusted case fatality rate was 1.5% (95% CI: 0.6-2.4%). The factor that was independently associated with severe COVID-19 was age (OR 1.1; CI 1.0-1.3; p < 0.05) with a trend in the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≥ 6 (OR 6.2; CI 0.6-56.4; p = 0.10). Conclusion: The lethality due to COVID-19 in MS patients is low, and severity was significantly associated with age and showed a trend with EDSS ≥ 6.

Keywords : COVID-19; Multiple sclerosis; Disease-modifying treatments.

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